How to hire a medical support assistant

How to hire a medical support assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical support assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical support assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical support assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a medical support assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your medical support assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a medical support assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A medical support assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, medical support assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of medical support assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Medical Support Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Support Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-21
   Registration Representative	In medical facilities, a registration representative serves as the patients' first point of contact in clinics and hospitals. They primarily greet patients, identify their needs, gather personal and medical information, and assist them in filling out forms... Show more	$12-20
   Patient Representative	A patient representative is responsible for assisting the patients with their health care needs by identifying their medical concerns, assessing their medical history, and referring them to the appropriate physicians or other medical professionals for immediate treatments and further examinations. Patient representatives verify the patients' insurance information, guiding them on filling out medical forms, processing payments for medical services, and updating them for the release of medical results... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Advanced Life Support
   • Veterans
   • Customer Service
   • Medical Terminology
   • Patient Flow
   • Medical Care
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Appointments
   • MSA
   • Administrative Functions
   • Primary Care
   • Patient Treatment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide pharmaceutical services to Medicaid recipients through manage care organizations and fee-for-service programs.
   • Coordinate front and back office tasks such as checking in and checking out patients, triage, and insurance verification.
   • Assist with enrolling patients into the TRICARE online website so patients can access appointments remotely from any web enable device.
   • Analyze patients' financial information to recommend suitable programs and lifesaving aid for both veterans and eligible family members.
   • Review and audit payroll reports.
   • Apply knowledge of coding systems, including ICD-9-CM and CPT.

   More medical support assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical support assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A medical support assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, medical support assistants' average salary in mississippi is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical support assistants earn 36% less than senior-level medical support assistants.
   • Certifications. A medical support assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a medical support assistant's salary.

   Average medical support assistant salary

   $35,390yearly

   $17.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level medical support assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average medical support assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maine	$47,183	$23
   2	California	$42,434	$20
   3	New York	$41,075	$20
   4	Maryland	$40,294	$19
   5	Washington	$38,898	$19
   6	Virginia	$38,421	$18
   7	Texas	$36,626	$18
   8	Oregon	$36,493	$18
   9	Alaska	$35,949	$17
   10	Alabama	$35,751	$17
   11	Arizona	$35,626	$17
   12	Florida	$35,613	$17
   13	Illinois	$35,507	$17
   14	Georgia	$35,489	$17
   15	Louisiana	$35,371	$17
   16	North Carolina	$34,695	$17
   17	Ohio	$34,623	$17
   18	Colorado	$34,432	$17
   19	Kansas	$34,318	$17
   20	Indiana	$34,204	$16

   Average medical support assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$51,109	$24.57	13
   2	City of Seattle	$48,217	$23.18	1
   3	New York State Restaurant Association	$43,482	$20.90
   4	Department of Homeland Security	$41,341	$19.88	22
   5	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$41,189	$19.80	143
   6	Medical University of South Carolina	$40,664	$19.55	50
   7	Chubb	$40,606	$19.52	5
   8	STG International	$40,157	$19.31	24
   9	Massachusetts General Hospital	$40,010	$19.24
   10	Navy Mutual	$39,093	$18.79
   11	Capital Area Community Services	$39,010	$18.75
   12	East Bay Innovations	$38,680	$18.60	7
   13	Harry Meyering	$38,015	$18.28
   14	Broward County Public Schools	$37,961	$18.25	9
   15	One Medical	$37,553	$18.05	21
   16	Mayo Clinic	$37,385	$17.97	84
   17	PeaceHealth	$36,849	$17.72	154
   18	HealthTrust	$36,817	$17.70
   19	Baptist Health Home Care	$36,558	$17.58	52
   20	Evergreen Health Care	$36,428	$17.51	15

4. Writing a medical support assistant job description

   A good medical support assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a medical support assistant job description:

   Medical support assistant job description example

   Verify and update customer data. Sort and deliver incoming mail. Handle claim check printing and mailing. Provide administrative support to other units as requested.
   Responsibilities Open, sort, prep, scan, retain and/or deliver all incoming mail to the appropriate individual or department. Maintain mailboxes and department emails for all departments and individuals receiving mail. Verify customer account or claim numbers for returned mail/ or unidentified mail using the appropriate systems. Stay current on procedure changes and communicate changes to coworkers. Complete daily claim check printing, including print accuracy, printer issues, and preparing and mailing checks. Be aware of check handling instructions for claims staff. Provide administrative support to internal departments and assist with overflow work from other units as requested. Qualifications • High school diploma or equivalent is required.
   • Proven ability to access and use electronic data.
   • Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.
   • Ability to keyboard accurately.
   • Knowledge of business grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
   • Above average communication and interpersonal skills.
   • Must be able to communicate and interact effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization.
   • Ability to work under pressure and prioritize work in an ever-changing environment.
   • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
   • Ability to understand corporate structure as well as the duties and responsibilities of key individuals and departments.
   • Ability to administer specific procedures and guidelines.
   • Must be able to maintain a high level of confidentiality. Church Mutual is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We can recommend jobs specifically for you! Click here to get started.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find medical support assistants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical support assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit medical support assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit medical support assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical support assistant

   Once you've selected the best medical support assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new medical support assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a medical support assistant?